


inside this place is warm / outside it starts to pour

by thespacebetweenstars



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: ADHD, Asexual Carlos (Welcome to Night Vale), Asexual Cecil Palmer, Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, Cecil Palmer's Fashion Sense, Comfort, Cuddling, Domestic, Fluff, M/M, POV Carlos (Welcome to Night Vale), Snowed In, They both have it, a moment of peace in the whirlwind that is night vale, canon typical use of pet names, post ep 100 but there's no spoilers, science can be romantic apparently, soft, they're husbands, warmth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:48:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28444938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thespacebetweenstars/pseuds/thespacebetweenstars
Summary: A snowstorm hits Night Vale.Carlos and Cecil are snowed in.
Relationships: Carlos/Cecil Palmer
Comments: 14
Kudos: 61





	1. but stay and we'll set the night aglow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> work title is from [Sweater Weather by The Neighborhood](https://open.spotify.com/track/2QjOHCTQ1Jl3zawyYOpxh6).  
> chapter title is from [Aglow by The Rare Occasions](https://open.spotify.com/track/5YICiSTdTX0y9wwA7CuNYh)
> 
> (actually here's a [whole playlist of warm winter songs](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6tAWSdS365nyfbJVBbjCkG?si=_xKjPoawQiu7g3ALGaNZBQ) that I put together. just for you c:
> 
> (I also have some [wtnv playlists](https://somehow-progressing.tumblr.com/post/636690468580818944/wtnv-character-playlists) like cecilos, cecil and carlos individually, the faceless old woman, etc. including them just cause I love them

It never snows in Night Vale.   
  
This is sensible. It can not snow in a desert.   
  
The high heat and lack of humidity make a hostile environment for any flake to form, no matter how cold the night gets.   
  
Yes. This hot, dry air is what defines a desert. Carlos knows this. He knows that ice cannot form in these conditions.

  
  


Despite all this, when Carlos opened his door that morning, his vision was filled with white.   
  
Packed snow filled the doorframe, glistening bright under the sun.   
  
Carlos blinked. The gears of his mind whirred. He knew this could not have happened before, for when he glanced back, Cecil was standing there, morning coffee in hand. With wide eyes, he opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it. Entirely baffled by the sight.  
  
“What..” his husband began, creeping closer to the flash winter outside. “..  _ Is _ that?”  
  
Carlos looked at him. “You don’t know what snow is?”  
  
“Of course I know what snow is!” Cecil replied, a little too quickly. His dark eyes flicked back to the packed ice. It rose up to their shoulders, and carried out to bury the streets, glossing over the buildings and cars in frost. “.. But what’s this?”  
  
“Snow.”  
  
“Oh.” Cecil blinked. Bringing his mug up, he sipped his coffee. “.. It’s possible I don’t know what snow is.”

  
  


The roads were iced over. Better than that, they were buried in four feet of snow-  _ at least, _ from what Carlos could see. And there were no snow plows, no readily-accessed shovels. They lived in a  _ desert. _ Who would think to prepare for  _ snow? _   
  
So Carlos was stuck.   
  
He called his colleagues- Mark, Luisa, Nilanjana, the others. It was the same for them. Frozen cars, hidden roads. All across Night Vale.  
No one was getting into work today.   
  
  
  
Carlos sighed as he hung the phone up.   
  
Cecil sat at the kitchen island, resting his arms on the counter. His dark eyes imploring, he tilted his head in an unspoken question.   
  
Carlos drew in a breath. The icy air curled down his airways and stung his lungs. He coughed, and shook his head. “None of us are going to be able to make it.”   
  
Hands clasped in front of him, Cecil ran his fingers over themselves. “If not you.. Who’s going to solve this?”  
  
Carlos thought on this, pressing his tongue between his lips as he mulled it over. With a sigh, he moved to sit opposite Cecil. “I’m not sure. From what it sounds like, the snow isn’t level.. Nils, at least, can climb out of her doorway.” He reached across the counter to take Cecil’s hands. His husband relented gladly, and the chill in his fingers shocked Carlos. They were icy, frozen to the touch. Carlos drew in a sharp breath through his teeth. He shifted to take Cecil’s hand between his own, glancing up to him.  
  
Distracted by the impossible snow, he hadn’t even considered how Cecil was still in his pajamas- a long sleeve shirt with a cryptic eye design, and shorts. Clothes meant to sleep through hot, dry nights- not a snowstorm. How cold he must be.  
  
“I-” Carlos wet his tongue, trying to remember what he was saying. “She- might be able to take data. Do experiments, even if it’s just in the street outside her apartment.” He noticed the slight shiver in Cecil’s arms, the way his fingers never quite sat still, trying to garner warmth, clinging to Carlos’s own. “We may not be helpless, is what I’m saying.”   
  
Cecil nodded, gaze dipping in consideration. “Is it..” He swallowed. “Is the snow dangerous?”   
  
A breath of a laugh escaped Carlos, soft and genuine. “Dangerous? Ceec, it’s just frozen water.”  
Cecil blinked. “.. Like ice?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“It doesn’t  _ look _ like ice.”  
  
Carlos couldn’t help but smile. “Well, it’s formed differently.”  
“How is it formed?”  
  
“Well-” Carlos stopped, bit his lip. “.. Cecil, you’re shivering.”  
Cecil rolled his eyes. “I’m  _ fine. _ ”  
  
“No, you’re.. How about this- Let’s get warm, and then I can explain it?”  
  
Cecil considered him for a moment. He nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments are always appreciated! c:


	2. first snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cecil sees snow for the first time

All the while Carlos was adjusting the thermostat, searching for spare blankets in the closet, Cecil’s eyes never left the windows. Those portals to the world outside, slick white with snow pressed against the glass.  
  
When Carlos neared, he tilted his head, then followed Cecil’s gaze outside. He looked at him. “.. Ceec?”  
  
“I’m just curious.”  
  
Carlos bit his lip, considering..  
  
Cecil glanced at his hands, busying himself with a ring.  
  
Carlos couldn’t stand to see him like this. Against his better judgement, he caved. “Hang on, I have an idea.”

  


  
  


The window in the bathroom, it turns out, was the only one high enough to avoid being submerged.  
  
Carlos stepped on the seat, unlocking the latch, his hand pressing against the blurred glass. It swung open, icy wind brushing over his fingers, and he used the back of the toilet as leverage to pull himself up.  
  
He pulled through the window into a world of white. The snow had risen the ground level by several feet, and so the window wasn’t high above the ground now. Carlos’s eyes widened. This kind of snowstorm only existed in his distant memory.  
  
He turned, and reached down for Cecil’s hand. With curious eyes and nervous hesitance, Cecil pulled himself up, with Carlos’s help.

  
  


Night Vale exists in a desert: hot and dry all days of the year, except for those nights where the sun slips under the horizon, and the heat slips out of the air with ease. There are blankets for those nights, and central heating, and the warmth of another’s body beside yours.  
  
All this to say, the citizens of Night Vale didn’t have much use for jackets.  
  
Cecil Palmer only owned two: one that zipped up, with a comfortable hood, that he slipped over his work shirt when going out for research on cold nights. This one made him look softer than ever, and Carlos cherished the rare moments he saw him in it. The night at Arby’s being one.  
  
This jacket was currently at the radio station.  
  
The other was translucent and iridescent, reflecting with color each time it caught the light. Cecil loved the way the color moved on this one, but the cold seeped through the thin fabric as easy as air.   
  
It was meant for show, not functionality.  
  
Carlos, on the other hand, was a little more prepared.

  


Cecil stood, his feet submerged into the packed snow, staring wide-eyed at the transformed landscape. He was wearing one of Carlos’s flannels.

  


Awe reflected in his eyes, those dark irises, a glimpse of the sand wastes at night. A violet luminescence gleamed over them in key moments, when his heart rate picked up. Carlos theorized this was connected to his position as the Voice. But now, he was preoccupied with the simple fact of- Cecil in his flannel. Cecil was in _his_ flannel. The cherry red fabric looked unbelievably soft over his shoulders, folding gently where he reverently grasped the sleeves with his long fingers.   
  
The icy air brushed over his tongue and curled down his throat, but Carlos found that his face was oddly warm anyways.

  


“.. Is this.. Real?” Cecil asked.  
  
Carlos shook his head subtly, grounding himself to the present moment. “Yes,” he said.   
  
“Everything’s..”  
  
“White?”  
  
“Different.”  
  
Carlos breathed a laugh, turning his gaze to what once was their street.  
  
In truth, snow crusted the sparse trees like they had been dipped in icing. The pearly hills redefined the landscape. It would be unrecognizable if it wasn’t for the familiar landmarks: the shape of the space between the houses, the blinking radio tower in the distance.  
  
An idea sparked across his mind.  
  
Carlos knelt briefly to scoop some snow into his hand. The ice burned on contact, but he expected that.  
  
“Hey, Ceec.”  
  
Cecil glanced at him. The snow was beginning to dust his dark hair, gathering on his nose.  
  
Carlos leant forward to brush it off with his free hand, his thumb passing over the bridge of his nose. “Here,” he offered, taking Cecil’s hand.  
  
Cecil gasped the moment the snow hit his palm. “Oh, heavens,” he breathed. Cecil looked at the small bundle, awestruck. He turned to Carlos, disbelief slipping into his voice. “It’s _cold._ ”  
  
“Yeah,” Carlos laughed. “That’s what it is.”  
  
As Cecil pressed on the top, gently squishing it, Carlos looked out over the snowy yard. He bit his lip. This was probably a bad idea. Oh well.  
  
“Babe, do you know what a snowball fight is?”  
  
He was doing it anyways.  
  
“A.. snow.. ball..? No, I’m afraid I don-” Cecil yelped, the first snowball bursting into icy dust on his arm. “Hey!”  
  
“Want to learn?” Carlos grinned, mischief glinting in his dark eyes. He was standing a few feet from Cecil now, another icy sphere already in his hands.  
  
Cecil’s eyes flicked from the snowball, to Carlos’s face. The violet shine in his eyes spiked, a little brighter than before. He smiled, sharp. “I think I can catch on.”  
  
“Oh?” Carlos opened his mouth to speak.  
  
Cecil was already moving, forming the snow in his hands. It hit Carlos in the chest.  
  
“Ah!” Cecil’s hands went to cover his mouth. “Sorry- I-.. Was that right?”  
  
Carlos laughed. “Babe, you’re going to have to do better than that.”  
  
“What? I _hit_ you.”   
  
“No holding back.” Carlos tossed the sphere between his hands, a grin as he spoke. “That’s the first rule of a snowball fight.”  
  
“There’s _rules?_ ”  
  
“Mhm!”   
  
“Are you going to tell me them?”  
  
“Nope!” He tossed the snowball.  
  
Cecil dodged, a laugh bubbling up from his chest. “Oh, it’s _on._ ”

  
  


The next minutes passed in a blur of snow and smiles.  
  
They collapsed on the snow, laughter on their breath. Carlos’s lungs burned with the cold and exertion, but he didn’t care.  
  
The look on Cecil’s face was worth it.  
  
His chest rose and fell with a quickened pace, fighting to catch his breath. His arm slipped behind his head as he gazed at the sky above. Mirth gleamed in his eyes, a smile lingering on his mouth.  
  
Carlos’s gaze remained there, low as the cold breeze brought down the snow around them. “Ceec?” he asked, a mere whisper, soft on his breath.  
  
Cecil turned his head, and Carlos leaned forward in a kiss. Cecil’s mouth was cold against his, but the gentle pressure more than made up for it.  
  
Carlos pulled back, just a tad, to watch the flush of warmth over Cecil’s cheeks. He pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of his nose, and relished at the sight of Cecil’s smile after it.  
  
Cecil leaned his head on his folded arm, peering at Carlos.  
  
It was nice. The cold numbed the tips of his fingers and toes, and one of the snowballs might have left a bruise, but all that fell away when he was curled up to Cecil like this. It was just that. Nice. Neat, even.  
  
“.. God, it’s cold out here,” Carlos realized.  
  
Cecil laughed. “ _Yes._ ” He pushed himself partially up, offering a hand to the scientist. “Inside, then?”  
  
“Please.”

  
  


Just before he slipped back through the small, square window, Carlos glanced up.  
  
There were clouds, as he expected. As is abnormal for a desert like this one.  
  
That wasn’t all.  
  
There was a shift, one piece of the sky out of place. It was a different shade than the rest: darker, colder. Almost imperceptible when glanced away.  
  
Carlos looked down from the sky. He swallowed. Perhaps he should let Nilanjana know about this.

  
  


Once he snapped the latch on the window closed behind him, Carlos climbed down to the floor.  
  
He turned, and Cecil was closing and stretching out his fingers. They warbled, moving slowly, as if he had trouble moving them.  
  
“Carlos-”  
  
“They’re just cold, dear.” He pressed a kiss to Cecil’s temple as he passed by. “They’ll warm up soon.”  
  
Cecil glared at his hands. “Can I make it faster?”  
  
Carlos glanced back, now standing outside the bathroom. “Maybe take off the rings? The metal will hold onto the cold longer.”  
  
“Ah,” Cecil nodded with clarity. “That sounds plausible.”   
  
Carlos dipped his head with a smile. He turned, heading to the kitchen.

  
  


As Carlos filled the kettle with water, he noticed Cecil by the counter.  
  
He took off the rings with care, placing them beside his keys. Next to the potted cactus. A place he would remember to find them again.  
  
There were two: a wedding band, one which matches Carlos’s, and a simple, black ring. Meant to be held on the middle finger, often on his right hand.  
  
Carlos had always meant to buy one for himself, as well, but he had never seemed to find one in stores. It wasn’t like he needed to pronounce his asexuality to the world, anyways.. although it would be nice to have some sort of pride.  
  
Perhaps he should order a pin?  
  
He was getting side tracked.  
  
Carlos placed the kettle on the stove and flicked on the flame.  
  
“Tea should be ready soon,” he said as he turned.  
  
Cecil met him with a smile, still wearing that crimson flannel.  
  
The sight sparked warmth in Carlos’s heart.


	3. your heart melts into my cup / it tastes like warm honey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> cecil and carlos warm up after the snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title is from [warm honey by WILLOW](https://open.spotify.com/track/2fsQGg0FeTVHdaIkKIxSFF?si=exuPrGXUTqeAE4chZ0Mfxw)

Carlos always found it interesting, how easily he fit into Night Vale.  
  
A man with an insatiable curiosity, met with a town with unending mystery. A fascination for the strange met with multiplying, shifting horror, each day of the inconsistent week.  
  
And then he looked at Cecil.  
  
He fit here perfectly, too.  
  
A man that thrives under attention, under the presence of people who care, and a town that will listen, unwittingly, infinitely, and raptly. A town that needs him, just as much as he needs them.  
  
Carlos also found it interesting, how easily they fit  _ together _ .  
  
Cecil, overenthusiastic Cecil, who always fills the gaps of silence when Carlos finds that he is too tired to speak. Cecil, a marvel, who’s cryptic and elusive and talkative all at once. And Carlos, who is a scientist. A listener, an observer. Eternally fascinated with the man beside him.

  
Currently, Carlos was interested in how well their  _ hands  _ fit together. They were interlaced on the countertop as they waited for their tea to steep. Cecil was talking, an excited light in his eyes, and Carlos felt a pang of guilt that he had zoned out, but knew Cecil would forgive him nonetheless. Cecil was like that. Forgiving.

Cecil’s fingers were longer than his, and his thumb cradled Carlos’s palm just perfectly. They slid together like they had been made for just that: holding. Like they had been sculpted out of marble, exactly curved to fit each other's grasp.

Carlos just found it interesting. That was all. 

  
Carlos held his phone in his hand, his thumb hovering over Nilanjana’s name. He had sent a text, explaining what he saw. Should he call her, too? He was the head scientist. Surely, this was his responsibility.  
  
But his thumb hovered, numb to the tip. Even as he typed that message, the screen was slow to respond. As if the lack of warmth made it unsure that Carlos was human, at all.  
  
The cold reached up to his throat, his nose. It made each breath icy, each thought distracted by the constant, frigid ache.  
  
And there was Cecil, sitting cross legged on the couch. He had his mug in his hands, swirling the last remnants of herbal tea. The tea bag was still in it, of course. Cecil rarely did things lightly, and his taste was no exception. He took his tea strong, his coffee black, and his food spicier than even Carlos could handle.  
  
It scared him a little, but only in the most lighthearted of ways. He didn’t think he could ever really be scared of Cecil.  
  
Cecil looked up, and his dark eyes met Carlos’s.  
  
It was then, that Carlos realized: as much as he’d like to be doing science, he would much rather be in Cecil’s arms.  
  
He turned off the phone with a _ click, _ and left it on the kitchen counter.

  


“So, it starts with the ice crystals that form in the clouds.”  
  
“This is already illegal.”  
  
Carlos laughed. His hand was carding through Cecil’s hair, brushing through those dark locks. His head rested against the arm of the couch, with Cecil’s beside him, half curled on him, half resting between him and the back of the couch.  
  
Cecil hid his smile in the fabric of Carlos’s flannel. “We aren’t supposed to know how clouds w-”  
  
“Yes, yes,” Carlos reassured him. “I know, Cecil.”   
  
He drew in a breath.  
  
“So. It starts with the clouds.”  
  
Cecil’s gaze shifted to him. Those dark eyes were like looking into the vast void of space. It nearly took his breath away every time.  
  
Carlos continued. “It’s essentially the same process for rain, after the water has evaporated to-”  
  
“Wait, wait, _ wait- _ ”  
  
“What?”  
  
Cecil raised himself up and placed his hand on Carlos’s chest, as if to stop him from continuing. “ _ That’s _ how rain works?”  
  
Carlos blinked. “ _ You don’t know how rain works? _ ”  
  
“Well, I-”  
  
“ _ Cecil- _ ”  
  
“We don’t  _ get  _ rain here!” His voice fell to a hushed whisper. “It’s a desert.”  
  
Carlos held his breath, then released it slowly. He let his frustration with the local school system melt away. “It’s okay,” he responded in a sigh. “It’s not your fault.”  
  
Cecil looked away in an exasperated fashion, a slight smile on face. “Never said it was,” he murmured as he placed his head back on Carlos’s shoulder.  
  
Carlos shifted, turning toward Cecil enough to brush some wayward curls from his face. “So, the water evaporates, and it condenses in the sky, okay?”  
  
“Mmm,” Cecil hummed, a sound almost akin to purring under Carlos’s touch. “Sounds fake.”  
  
“Most things do.” He pressed a light kiss to Cecil’s forehead. “So, it condenses into a cloud. When there’s  _ enough  _ water, it rains.”  
  
Curled into him, Cecil’s breath was warm over Carlos’s neck. Carlos brushed a finger over his nose momentarily, and found that it was still cold. He pressed a kiss there, hoping to bring warmth himself.   
  
The radio host’s eyes were closed. With his calm, subtle breathing, and the peaceful rest of his expression, Carlos almost thought he had fallen asleep.  
  
Cecil’s eyes fluttered open halfway. “.. Where does the snow come into this?” he murmured.  
  
Carlos smiled, and Cecil’s face flushed. “I’m getting to that.”  
  
He nodded and rested his eyes again.  
  
“Remember how I said they’re essentially the same?”  
  
“Mhm.”  
  
“So, if it’s cold enough, the ice crystals never melt into rain. They stay ice, and fall to the earth as snow.”  
  
A warm quiet rose in the space after his words. Cecil’s dark eyes flicked back and forth, low under his short lashes as if lost in thought. He looked up at Carlos with a smile like the blush of pink at dusk, against the darkening sky. “You are so smart.” His voice was bright, and flush with affection.  
  
Carlos dipped his head, an odd warmth to his face. “I- I’m- Well, I’m a  _ scientist _ , honey. It’s my job.” He gazed at him, his heartbeat quickened.  
  
Cecil leaned forward and kissed him. The gentle pressure melted the remaining cold, as well as any tension in his bones. Carlos sighed, carding a hand through the other’s curls. He smiled, even as Cecil pulled away.  
  
Their noses were still mere centimeters apart. Cecil met his eyes, then breathed a small laugh and dipped his head. It felt like every kiss was their first, still brimming with nerves and fluttery hearts.  
  
Carlos nestled closer, catching a glimpse of Cecil’s smile before resting his eyes as he lay his head in the space between the other’s shoulder and neck.  
  
Warmth held in the spaces where they touched: where Carlos’s forearm rested on Cecil’s waist, where Cecil’s foot rested over Carlos’s own. As the snow fell soft outside, a peaceful quiet filled the house. Only the slow pace of their breaths resided in the bubble of intimacy they shared.   
  
  
  
It was possible that the rift, or the snow, was a danger.  
  
Carlos could worry about that later.  
  
There would  _ always _ be something to worry about later. This was Night Vale, after all.  
  
For now, he rested, his radio host in his arms, his mind momentarily at peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr is [somehow-progressing](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/somehow-progressing)  
> hope you enjoyed!  
> comments are always appreciated c:


End file.
